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WW1 Commemoration: Lights out to remember war

GLOUCESTERSHIRE County Council will be joining millions across the county in the Lights Out events taking place around the country.

Monday, August 4 will see people turn off their lights between 10pm and 11pm, leaving on either a single candle or light as a mark of respect and to reflect on the significance of the historic date.

Lights Out is the headline project of the cultural programme 14-18 NOW.

More than a million candles are expected to be lit on the night, one of which will be at Shire Hall, Gloucester where all the lights in the building will be switched-off, allowing a single candle illuminating reception to take centre stage.

The idea to light a candle to mark the centenary of the beginning of the First World War is inspired by the famous words of the wartime foreign secretary, Sir Edward Grey. As the dreaded moment of the outbreak of war loomed, he said: “The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.”

The Royal British Legion has been working closely with 14-18 NOW to ensure the project is a success and members hope that it will be one of the largest events of its kind ever seen in the UK.

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council said: “We are immensely proud to be involved in this important commemorative event and will be lighting a candle in our Shire Hall reception.

“I would urge everyone who is able to take part, to come together in this shared moment of reflection during the hour that Britain entered the war one hundred years ago.

“It can’t be understated how vital it is for younger generations to be educated about the sacrifice and the loss which those who went before them endured to secure our freedom.”

For more information on Lights Out and other events being arranged, visit 1418now.org.uk